When we first saw this space, we thought...Yikes! What a dark and dreary play space for children. No one would EVER want to come here to play! As teachers, we know that the physical environment greatly influences the behavior, attitude and cognitive skills of a child. We love a challenge and we set off to make this the most EXCITING, ORGANIZED and FUNCTIONAL playroom EVER!!! Our team got right to work brainstorming all the activities that we would want the children to do in this commercial space. The room is small, so we decided to create 2 separate learning areas, a building/ manipulativse area and a pretend play/market area. Both of these play areas appeal to children of all ages, genders and interests. While the children are playing, they will also be learning important cognitive skills, such as social skills (reasoning, communication, verbal), mathematical skills (geometry, balance, problem-solving) and verbal skills (literacy, negotiation, storytelling). Lastly we chose colors that created a peaceful, relaxing and yet energizing atmosphere. LET THE CHILDREN PLAY!